Secularism under threat: SOL Party targeted

12punto.com.tr  

Cenk Başboğaoğlu

Last week, members of the SOL Party in Sefaköy, Istanbul, hung a banner reading, "A secular, revolutionary, democratic Republic against sharia, fascism, and darkness." Due to provocations by reactionaries, SOL Party Provincial Executive Enis Çiçek, former Küçükçekmece District Spokesperson Şükrü Çetin, and Küçükçekmece District Chair Menevşe Alptekin were first detained and subsequently sentenced to house arrest.

‘WE WILL DEFEND SECULARISM AND DEMOCRACY’

According to an announcement made on the SOL Party's X account, a banner hung in Balıkesir with the same slogan led to the detention of two party members. The SOL Party reported the events with a statement saying, "We will never allow the US-backed Taliban regime imposed on Turkey. We will protect our country's future and defend secularism and democracy." 

ATTACKS CONTINUED

In addition to the statement announcing the house arrest of Enis Çiçek, Şükrü Çetin, and Menevşe Alptekin, the SOL Party's X account included the following remarks regarding the ongoing attacks: "A handful of sharia-advocating groups, fed by imperialists who want to condemn our country and region to Taliban-style regimes, attacked our Istanbul Provincial Building and our banner work in Üsküdar during the evening hours when our friends were not present." 

‘WE WILL NOT SURRENDER THIS COUNTRY’

The SOL Party issued a call for a press statement following a physical attack by masked individuals on its Provincial Building in Beyoğlu. In addition to the targeting, detention, and house arrest of party members, the call stated, "Last night, our banner in Üsküdar was torn down by individuals belonging to a certain sharia-advocating group, and subsequently, a physical attack was carried out by masked individuals on our Provincial building in Beyoğlu. Against these attacks, we will gather in front of our SOL Party Istanbul Provincial Building today at 18:00 to hold our press conference. We will not surrender this country to those who have declared war on the progressive values of the Republic and secularism, and who want to condemn our country and region to Taliban-style darkness." 

‘WE WILL PROTECT OUR FUTURE’

In the press statement, the purpose of the attacks was described as "to liquidate secularism and democracy, and to make the one-man regime permanent as a sultanate order." The statement, which also reported that 3 young members were sentenced to house arrest on the grounds of writing slogans, continued: "No matter what they do, we will not surrender this country to darkness. We will unite, we will protect our future. We will defend secularism together. We will send this minority group of sharia-regime enthusiasts, who have declared war on the progressive values of the Republic and secularism, along with the palace advisors who encourage them by applauding them and the political Islamist one-man regime, to the dark pages of history. We will fight together for a democratic, equal, and independent Turkey. We are together, we are here for a secular, democratic Republic against imperialism, sharia, and fascism!" emphasizing the direction of the struggle. 

‘FROM THE 68 GENERATION TO TODAY…’

SOL Party Central Executive Committee (MYK) member Deniz Demirdöğen spoke to 12Punto about the events. Demirdöğen stated that the reason behind the targeting of the SOL Party lies in the interests of the palace regime aligning with imperialism. Demirdöğen said, "As the SOL Party, we argue that an exit from the political Islamist fascist regime that has descended upon our country like darkness is possible with a revolutionary democratic republican program that sides with the laborers, the youth, and women. One of the most important headings of our revolutionary democratic republican program is the struggle for secularism. 

We can say that secularism, one of the progressive gains of the Republic, has been hollowed out by the counter-revolution that began in the 1950s and is being completely liquidated by the political Islamist fascist regime. In this sense, we believe that there is not a secularism to be defended, but a secularism that must be won. 

The most important collaborators in Turkey's reactionary, fascist transformation in line with the interests of imperialism have been the political Islamist tradition that bowed down to the 6th Fleet. We are those who walk in the footsteps of this country's revolutionary tradition from the 68 generation to today. Just as in the past, we will continue to fight today against the imposition of Taliban-style regimes on Turkey, which imperialism has brought to power in the Middle East. 

In this sense, we have organized 'Secularism Marches' all over the country in previous periods against Turkey's reactionary, fascist transformation in line with the interests of imperialism. We have fought in every field and at all times against the regime that is being attempted to be created through the siege of sects and religious communities.

Last week, a reactionary provocation was attempted by a member of a sect in Küçükçekmece due to our banner, 'Against Sharia, Fascism, and Darkness; Revolutionary, Democratic, Secular Republic.' This was continued on social media by reactionary accounts, primarily the palace's chief advisor Fuat Saral. We are aware of what a group of sharia-advocating minorities is trying to do. They aim to make their 'sharia regime' aspirations, which threaten the constitutional order in our country, untouchable and to make secularism, which is under constitutional guarantee, defenseless. 

The sharia regime, which is being attempted to be built in Turkey for the continuation of the reactionary, fascist, and exploitative regime of the minority clustered in power, is being presented as if it were the demand of our faithful people. However, public opinion has been strongly defending secularism against the provocation carried out for a week. Secularism is the guarantee of the freedom of religion and belief for the entire society, both believers and non-believers in this country; the hope for the future of the youth; and the safety and freedoms of women. This minority, which aspires to a sharia regime, attacks because they see the revolutionaries who defend secularism as the biggest obstacle to the regime they are trying to create. No matter what they do; we will not take a single step back from our revolutionary, democratic republican march and our struggle to protect secularism," he said. 

‘OUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS BEING VIOLATED’

Regarding the detention processes, Demirdöğen said, "For a week, a handful of minorities aspiring to a sharia regime have been cutting our banners and carrying out attacks on our party buildings in the darkness of the night. Calls for sharia are being made on social media through reactionary accounts, including the palace's chief advisor. While the justice system does not open a single investigation into all these events, 6 of our party members who defend secularism are being punished with house arrest. What has happened in this one week clearly shows the darkness into which the country is being dragged. The political Islamist fascist regime that has been created defends those who call for sharia while punishing those who defend secularism. Our right to engage in politics and our freedom of expression are being violated. However, what we are experiencing is not just an attack on our party and our party members. The life of every citizen in Turkey under a secular, social state of law under constitutional guarantee is in danger," he said. 

‘WE CAN SUCCEED WITH A UNITED, ORGANIZED POPULAR OPPOSITION’

Regarding the direction of the SOL Party's struggle after these events, Demirdöğen said, "Millions in the broad opposition front who are uncomfortable with this Islamist fascist regime in Turkey are defending secularism. They are attacking secularism because it is one of the biggest obstacles in front of the country they are trying to create. We can only succeed against the Islamist fascist regime with a united, organized popular opposition. We will call on the entire broad public to defend secularism together for the struggle for a secular, democratic, and enlightened country.  

At the same time, we will file criminal complaints regarding the attacks on our party buildings and banners because we defend secularism. We will file criminal complaints regarding the calls for sharia that threaten the secular, democratic order, together with legal institutions that defend secularism and the democratic legal community," he said. 

PEOPLE'S MARCH AGAINST DARKNESS

Following the attack on its Keçiören district building last night, the SOL Party announced a "People's March Against Darkness" to be held in Ankara at Danişment İncirli on Thursday, February 5 (Today) at 18:30.